One Step with Music to Life
by ichigorozu
Summary: Amu is forced to join the new and hottest band called XFigure. Three handsome boys and one mischief leader, Ikuto. She signs a 6 month contract with a specific demand. XFigure must be 1st in all music charts in Japan. Horrified, Amu pulls an stunt causing Ikuto to be her boyfriend. But getting close to the handsome boy, Amu's wonders if her feelings for Ikuto are real or not?
1. Sing

**One Step with Music to Life **

"**FULL SUMMARY:** Hinamori Amu has a hidden talent that nobody except her trusty best friend knows. But a strange boy with blue hair hears her beautiful voice and immediately asks her to join his band. Instantly turning down the offer, Ikuto's mischief action has led to black mailing Amu. Defeated, she reluctantly joins and signs a six month contract that has a specific demand. The demand was that XFigures must be 1st in all music charts in Japan. In order to meet the contract's demands, Amu pulls a stunt by falling in love with Ikuto. But getting close to the cunning and handsome boy, Amu's feelings waver as she begins to wonder if her feelings for Ikuto are real or just an act. And why had The Easter Organization demanded such an outrageous rule?

* * *

**Step 1: Sing**

I woke up from the warmth of my hair and could smell the typical Monday morning. My bubble gum hair sparkled in the sunlight as I turned around and saw my alarm clock. I could have sworn my eyes jumped out of their sockets.

I quickly flung my blankets off and grabbed my uniform. My hair was everywhere. I had pink locks all tangled together and quickly went to get the brush. I hurriedly brushed my hair and took my red 'x' clip and clipped it on the side. I glanced at myself in the mirror and smiled.

Stepping out of the warm room, I was greeted by my cheerful parents and young sister. No time for a proper breakfast, I pinched a cozy warm toast off the plate and into my mouth. I waved off and hurriedly tied my shoes on.

I left the Hinamori residence and started my destination to Seiyo High School. Lately, rumors had been heard that four handsome and famous rookie singers would be attending my school. I wasn't too aware of them or particularly interested.

Arriving at the main entrance, a herd of students was formed around the wooden dash board. I slanted my eyebrows at the scene and wondered why Japanese people were so enthusiastic. Shouldn't they be saving their energy… for, like, more important stuff? I shrugged and continued to walk to my usual meeting spot.

As I got close, a familiar small figure with beautiful blond locks cascading her round face appeared.

"Amu," She greeted with a slight smile.

"Morning," I said, returning that smile.

She glanced at the scene and had the same questioning expression as me. "What's going on there?" she asked as I shrugged.

"Maybe free hamburgers for lunch?" I suggested with a goofy smile. She shot me an unimpressed look and said, "Amu. Just no." She patted my shoulder in disappointment at my small joke. I smiled and said, "I was just kidding!"

Suddenly, a burst of squeals emerged from the crowd and I couldn't help but wonder what in the world was happening this god forsaken morning. "If people are randomly screaming their lungs out for no reason, I will stick a pin down their throat," Rima threatened, her eyes sparked with evil. I nervously laughed and shrugged. I was suddenly yanked by the arm and turned around to see Yaya.

"Good Morning Amu-chi!" the overly excited girl said with her short, caramel hair tied in two pony tails and her chocolate brown eyes shouting in brightness.

"Morning Yaya," I smiled at her enthusiasm and wondered how much energy this girl truly had. It even scared me a little that her baby personality and baby face was attending high school.

"Yaya, please don't scream in my ear. I've had enough of it for this morning..." Rima sighed, rubbing her temples in distress.

"Yaya came here wondering if you knew what was happening over there," Yaya said, pointing at the overly happy teenagers.

"Have no idea," I answered. "Let's check it out!" Yaya exclaimed. Before I could complain, she pulled Rima and I towards the dash board. (Where our entire important announcement are pinned for students to read) Making our way towards the wooden board, people had already taken a step back and shyly glanced towards me.

"Hey! It's Hinamori-senpai! She looks so cool!" Whispered a girl.

"Cool and spicy!" One student had shouted, followed by more comments.

Ignoring their comments, I composed my 'cool and spicy look' and calmly walked past and stared closely at the wooden board. A poster was stapled on the board saying in big block writing, 'AUDITION TOMORROW IN THE AUDITORIUM'. Below the block writing, it said, 'Challenge yourself if you think you have TALENT, tryouts for the newest rookie band XFigures'. Following below were the names of the members. 'Tsukiyomi Ikuto, Souma Kukai, Sanjou Kairi, Fujisaki Nagihiko' including a picture which I assumed that was them. At the bottom of the poster, with fancy lettering it said, 'The Easter Organization'.

Before I could get a better look at their faces, Rima had grabbed my hand and pulled me away from the suffocating crowd. "Rima?" I asked.

She turned around with a sneaky and evil grin. I gasped and knew exactly what she was thinking. Before a protest could come out of my mouth she interrupted and said, "You're doing it." I rapidly shook my hair, flinging pink locks around. "Never!" I complained, and once that word ran out of my mouth I instantly wanted to take it back.

"Oh really?" Rima questioned, her voice turning dark. I gulped down the hard stone stuck in my throat. "Do you want me to recall that time…. When you came over to my house and sang 'I'm Walking on Sunshine' while taking a shower," she paused and got out her phone. She clicked a few buttons before turning her phone to me and my eyes widened with my mouth shaped like an 'o'.

"Y-y-y-you RECORDED IT!" I screamed, didn't care if I was getting strange looks from the students. Rima evilly grinned and nodded. My mouth was still wide open and a shade of pink grazed over my cheeks. "… RIMA!" I shouted before attacking her to retrieve the phone, but she simply dodged it due to her advantage of having a petite body.

Rima had run off to her shoe locker before I could reach her. I sighed in defeat and headed to my shoe locker as well. "I will definitely get you back for this," I hissed to myself and walked off.

* * *

"Come on Amu! You can't be mad forever!" Rima complained as she was tugging on my sleeve. I stubbornly turned away and pushed her hands off. I felt bad for doing that because I never used poor manners when I was mad at Rima. But either way, I wasn't even that mad. I suddenly stopped and looked at Rima's pleading eyes. "Alright, but you need to buy me a hamburger and a strawberry milkshake," I mumbled, earning a smile from Rima. "Yes ma'am," she saluted and walked off. "I'll meet you at our regular spot!" I called while she waved as a response. I smiled as she walked past the crowd and straight to the cafeteria.

I walked towards our spot until something caught my attention.

"I SAW THEM!" Chirped a girl with a faint pink blush.

"I MADE EYE CONTACT WITH HIM!" Screamed a girl while wrapped in her own world of happiness.

"THEY ARE SO HOT!" Commented another girl.

I shot them a confused and strange look. But then I recalled during class the discussion about those rookie band attending our school. But I slowly lost interest in them and continued on my daily route.

The destination I was heading was a bit far; it was behind the school so no one usually came here. Walking on the concrete floor, immediately I was engaged with the rows of cherry blossom trees as their soft petals were flying in the wind. I sighed in relief once noticing that there was no one here. The scenery made my heart sink every time I saw these beautiful trees. I don't know why, but ever since I was young, cherry blossoms had been my favorite.

I sat down on the freshly cut grass below the tree, leaning against the trunk. I grabbed my phone from my pocket and wondered when Rima would come. But it didn't bother me if she was late because the cafeteria was always busy. 'Maybe I shouldn't have told her to get me that burger after all…' I wondered. But then my upset stomach was rumbling in hunger, as I had forgotten to get my lunch this morning.

Suffering in boredom, I quickly grabbed my ear plugs and plugged them into my phone. Listening to the first song that was playing, strangely enough it was the song that I really wanted to listen to. 'Beautiful Dancer by IU.'

Listening to the soothing and soft voice had instantly brought me into pure bliss_._

'_Overcome those rainy evenings__,__and just like that you will be able to dance freely.'__  
_

I couldn't help but picture a young boy dancing freely in the rain with his thick rain boots. His face was filled with joy as he danced and twirled in puddles.

'_I don't care who's around'__  
__'Let's dance together to the rhythm of hope'_

I was too absorbed in the song that I didn't know the lyrics were coming out my mouth as I followed the flow of the tune.

"There doesn't have to be a reason," I sang. "Isn't it okay to do it just because it's fun?" I continued, closing my eyes and picturing the beautiful scene.

"Don't let the world spoil you, no matter what, you are beautiful," I tried my best to sing in English but didn't care of my wrong pronunciation. It was only me singing here.

Then I paused, waiting for the next versus. "He-y" I sang in my highest voice but soothed out my tune so it was matching with beat.

"You don't have to be scared, it's okay, you can dance," I smiled. "A dance that's only yours (You can dance), I'm a beautiful dancer~" I sang, my voice slowly following the rhythm and my foot lightly tapping on the ground in sync with the beat of the music.

"Dance once more. Once, it doesn't matter if you're no good at it," I continued, gently swaying my head left to right. "You can do your dance, let me see it once."

"It's okay to smile, I'm a beautiful dancer," I sang, my voice slowly cracking and I stopped for a breath. Instead of singing, I just hummed the notes following the tune as I went along. Towards the end, I whispered, "Don't be afraid, You're gonna be okay..."

Suddenly I heard a loud clap ringing in my ears and my heart sunk. Someone had heard me… heard me sing. I snapped open my eyes and removed my ear plugs, hoping it was just Rima. I whipped my head to the left and right and didn't see anyone. I gulped, I was certain I had heard someone clapping, and suddenly I heard it again. This time it was coming from above. I shot my head up and instantly regretted it.

In my sixteen years of life, I had never ever met someone as beautiful as this boy. His sapphire hair was lightly blowing against the wind as he sat down on one of the branches. He had the most mysterious and vivid cobalt eyes that could make any girl's heart beat like a ticking time bomb. His ivory skin glowed in the light as the beautiful scenery behind him cascaded with soft pink petals blooming and the wind blowing his hair with the flowers. Blue met gold, while gold met blue.

He smirked and suddenly jumped down, surprising me as he gracefully landed on the ground. He looked straight at me and I could feel my cheeks warming. His eyes had the most hypnotizing and charming effect that had my heart thumping. I couldn't speak a word because my body had grown numb of embarrassment and his handsome features. He must have seen the stupid expression that was plastered on my face, as he started to chuckle at my reaction. I blushed a dark shade of red and before he could speak, I quickly gathered myself up and ran. Didn't know where, but bolted away from the scene. My rosy hair was running along in the wind as I dashed away.

After stopping from a good five minute sprint, I bent down and greedily inhaled air. Suddenly I was caught up with Rima, as she was beside me holding a hamburger wrap and a strawberry milkshake.

She gave me a puzzled look as she saw my bright red face. "What happened to you?" she asked, fascinated at what I had done. "I ran, duh," I breathed. "I can see that…" she continued, still giving me that concerned look. I then whipped my head around, searching for any bystanders staring at me or Rima. I grabbed Rima by the arm and trotted off to our second meet-up place.

After arriving at the white gazebo that was planted in the school grounds, I told Rima everything. How I was singing and a mysterious boy was clapping then jumped down from a very high branch. And before I knew it, I was back to the state after running. I was puffing for air as Rima slowly took in what I was saying.

"Wow Amu," She commented. I grabbed the hamburger from the table and started to tear the paper, and unfastened the drink, taking a greedy gulp.

"So you have no clue who he was?" She asked, taking a small sip from her apple juice. I quickly shook my head.

"B-B-But he heard me sing! And he clapped for me. M-Me!" I exclaimed, taking massive bites from the burger and chewing harshly before dryly swallowing it.

"Calm down Amu!" Rima said. "I-I can't Rima! No one has ever heard me sing! Well apart from you! My family hasn't even heard me sing!" I complained, sipping my strawberry milk.

"He applauded, so it means he liked your singing Amu. Take it as a compliment!" She tried to cheer me up but we both knew my anxiety was getting to me.

I took a deep breath and let it all out. "Amu, you are going to be alright. It's not like he recorded you or something," she grinned while I gave her a hard stare. "Unlike someone," I grumbled. She then bit down a smile and I couldn't help but smile as well. "You said you forgave me!" She complained, a smile tugging. I then let out a giggle and she joined as well.

"Okay, okay maybe I'm just over exaggerating." I said and earned a nod from Rima. After finishing our meal, we were busy catching up on last night's new comedy show that Rima had forced me to watch by calling me seven times. "I was crying a fountain of tears when he-" I said but was suddenly interrupted by the familiar bell.

We cleaned up and headed straight to class. "Oh Rima I forgot to get my work book," I said, remembering I had left it at my locker. "Okay, I'll meet you in class," Rima waved me off as I gingerly turned the other direction towards my locker. Everyone had already gotten their books and set off to their next class whereas I was alone. Suddenly I heard a few clicking noises coming from the ground and wondered what it was. I glanced down and saw my shoe laces were undone and were making soft clicks every time my feet touched the ground. 'I'll tie them later' I thought and continued to my locker.

After getting my book, the bell suddenly rang, informing students that fifth period had started. I cursed under my breath before rushing towards class. Suddenly, I tumbled to the ground as my feet slipped on my untied shoe laces, and landed flat on my face. "O-O-Ouch," I moaned, placing my hand on the red mark on my cheek.

But then suddenly, a noise that came from behind caught me. My bottom had landed up in the air and my skirt hitched up… revealing my underwear.

"Nice strawberry panties," said an unfamiliar husky voice as I quickly got up and swiped my skirt down. My face turned crimson red, flooded with embarrassment. I turned around and my eyes widen. It was the boy I had met during lunch! He found this amusing as a smirk appeared on his face. My heart rate had sped up at the thought of encountering him in the most embarrassing situation yet again.

"U-U-Uh…" Was all that crawled out my mouth as I once again sprinted away from the boy. Finally, reaching my class, I quietly slipped inside and hurried over to Rima and took a seat. I buried my crimson face into the crook of my elbows and didn't bother to look up.

Rima, noticing this, nudged me. "Where's your book?" She asked. I then shot up like a deer caught in head lights and groaned. I had dropped it when I had fallen down… Oh no, that boy, he must have picked up my book!

Rima was staring at me and gave me a questioning look. "Amu, what is going on with you today…"

"I have no idea..." I said, slumping down on the desk, my energy drained.

* * *

I tiredly sighed at my seat as the final bell had gone. "So you're telling me that you met that boy again?" Rima asked with an unpleased look. I nodded in response.

"I swear, this must be fate," Rima said, which caught my attention. "No way," I bluntly replied. "Why must he see me in my most embarrassing moments?" I wondered out loud.

"Like I said, its destiny," Rima cheerfully sang as she got her books ready to march out of class. Her comment had only made me slouch down in my desk as she heaved a sigh.

"Expect the unexpected, Amu. Now get your skinny ass up before I march off before you," the small girl threatened as I groggily got up. "Yes ma'am," I tiredly saluted. As I got up and started to prepare my books, I heard a squeal from the hallway and turned around.

"It's him! It's Tsukiyomi Ikuto!" Screamed an overly happy girl as she rushed down the hallway as everyone started to bicker.

"Who?" Rima gave a hooted look as she looked bored. "Uh… I believe the guy from that rookie band," I answered. "Oh yeah, I heard about them. But aren't they in the senior's block?" Rima asked while I shrugged.

Suddenly, the noise grew louder as each student started to join in the screaming competition. "Remind me after school that I need to buy ear plugs," I said lifting myself off the ground. "Sure will," Rima agreed while I giggled.

Heading towards the door, I was met by a familiar face that I did not want to encounter. Our eyes met as a smirk appeared on his face.

"Kyaa! IKUTO-SAN!" Screamed an extremely loud girl. He was then surrounded by the screaming competitors as my mouth dropped. 'H-H-He's Tsukiyomi Ikuto!?'

_'Oh no_,' my heart thumping and the tip of my ears burning. But I received a nudge from Rima. She gave me a reassuring smile and I smiled back. I calmed down and recollected my 'cool and spicy' attitude.

"For you." He said in a charming voice that made a girl faint. He smirked at the result as he handed my lavender workbook that had my name and class printed on it. As he returned my book, I fought the light shade of a blush and the embarrassing moment where he peeked at my bottom.

"Thanks," I replied in my calm tone that was only used in desperate times to not show my real self. He still stood there, blocking the exit of the door. Growing a bit impatient, I snapped, "Can you move?" I said harshly, my eyes darkly pointed at him. He still held that amused expression and slowly took a step away from the door.

I exited the class with Rima trailing behind me. Before we could make a run, someone had tugged my arm and dragged me away from the blond girl. I whirled my head around and noticed it was Tsukiyomi who was tugging me away from my best friend.

"W-What are you doing!" I complained as his grip grew tighter. I was getting kidnaped in front of everyone's eyes and they didn't seem to care.

"Oh my, HINAMORI AMU AND TSUKIYOMI IKUTO ARE TOGETHER!" Screamed a fan boy.

"W-what! No! Get your hands off me!" I said, trying to escape his tight grip. He only ignored my petty fight and marched past the screaming students.

We soon reached outside the building at the front entrance of the school with students hovering around us. He finally let go while I was rubbing my sore arm.

He gazed at me and smiled. Not a smirk but a smile! But it disappeared in a second and he regained his normal look. "I heard you sing," he whispered, loud enough for me to hear. My face burnt red and my eyes widened.

I then saw Rima, stuck in the crowd of people as I gave her a pleading look that screamed to come save me! But her small body wasn't tough enough to block the roaring students.

"A-a-and what!" I said, trying to reenact my cool and spicy voice.

"Join my band," he simply said.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thank you for reading and I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter. I've decided to re-write One Step with Music To Life and slightly change the story line. I found it unfair that I couldn't complete this story and left my old readers hanging :O But hopefully, my old readers are still reading this and if so please comment down below! I'm thirsty for one of my old readers to review. And to those who are new to this website or this story, WELCOME! :)) hahaha, special thanks to jackthepumpkin777 (beta reader) for editing this chapter and check out her amazing stories! (you will not regret it!) **

**Ciao for now & please review ? **


	2. Rejection

**One Step with Music to Life**

**Step 2: Rejection**

Hearing those words roll out his mouth rapidly made the blood flow of my heart burst. It felt like a bee stung my heart and let all the blood rush through my veins. I wasn't sure what I was feeling… was it happiness or fear?

The low but audible mumbles from the sudden crowd echoed in my already throbbing head, causing my heartbeat to quicken and the palms of my hands to sweat.

Forgetting my manners, my mouth hung open and my eyes were wide with shock. The only thing that was ringing in my head was, 'Join my band.'

Such simple words had my mind going crazy.

Searching through the hazy crowd of people, I spotted Rima. Her expression mirrored mine and everyone else. I gave her a pleading look, hoping she understood what I was trying to say. But I knew that Rima couldn't get me out of this situation. Even though she was remarkable in deceiving men to follow any of her wishes, I doubted that her ability could get me out of this.

The air felt tense, students' eyes boring into our show. My eyes traveled to the mysterious idol. I saw amusement in his eyes, like he was enjoying this show I was putting on for everyone. I felt something burning. It was fury.

I am Hinamori Amu! I don't perform shows for people to be entertained. My cool and spicy attitude was what kept me away from people and disguised my true self.

And this Tsukiyomi Ikuto was sucking away my outer character. I couldn't let that happen.

I turned my direction to the smug looking boy and could see in his eyes a glint of enjoyment at the approving answer he was expecting. Hell, he thought wrong.

Losing the pale and fragile expression, I stared sternly at him.

"No." I refused, taking a deep breath.

Dramatic gasps escaped from the roaring audience and Tsukiyomi's smug look disappeared.

Feeling braver and my outer character slowly taking control, I rolled my eyes at his stupid assumption and lastly scanned the crowd of distressed people. I grabbed hold of Rima and walked away from that tangled mess.

Figuring it was safe now, I whirled around to see an exhausted Rima, catching her last breathes from our hurried departure. I gave her an uneasy look, my eyebrows slanted in concern at the small girl.

"Sorry Rima," I shakily said, my heart rate slowing down.

"I-It's okay," She breathed out, her cheeks bright pink as she puffed for air like a puffer fish.

After a few seconds of quietness, a burst of giggles lifted the air. I stared at the small girl who was laughing without care as if she saw the funniest comedy show.

I gave her a questioning look, my golden eyes staring worriedly at my best friend. 'Is she having a blond moment here?' I jokingly thought.

"O-Oh my god! Y-You should of se-en everyo-ones face!" She stumbled on some words as she was once again engaged with fits of giggles.

Instead of giving her the 'what the?' look, I invited myself into her fit of giggles and we both started to laugh our heads off. The concerned residents of the neighborhood swiftly shut their windows and closed their curtains to not see crazy girls make a fool of themselves.

After reaching my house, we made ironic jokes and mimicked the words, 'Join my band.' Rima had said it in such a horrible, demanding voice that only made me laugh harder, causing my lungs to feel even heavier.

I could see little drops of tears on Rima's eyelashes as she wiped them away with a large smile.

"A-And then you were like, no," she explained, giggling again as she tried to copy my monotone voice when I rejected the offer.

"W-well h-he was a making a f-fool out of me!" I choked out while laughing. Once we reached the front door of my house, I popped in the keys and unlocked the door. Our laughter's echoed inside the house as we took off our shoes and ran upstairs to my room.

"Oh! Amu-chan are you home already?" Called mama as I heard her voice coming from the kitchen.

"Yes! And Rima is here too," I called back, entering my room.

"Okay! You girls have fun; I'll bring some tea and sweets up," She cheerfully called back.

"Thanks mama!"

Entering my room, I was met with my pale pink walls and my comfy bed that was set in the corner of the reasonably sized room. I dropped my school bag on the floor, followed by Rima's. Rima delicately sat on my bed, rubbing her stomach to settle down all the muscles that were stretched because of the heavy laughter.

"God, that was hilarious," she said, her lips curled into a smile.

After a few minutes to settle and some tea with a plate of snacks, we started to talk: Real talk.

"So… Amu what are you going to do now?" Rima asked, nibbling a cookie. I shrugged at the question. "Isn't it obvious? I'm going to refuse his offer," I replied back. I was currently sitting on my strawberry shaped bean bag, my legs dangling off the edge as I was sitting on the side.

"I don't even know them," I replied bluntly, taking a bite from my chocolate cookie. A few crumbs landed on my uniform and I softly brushed them off.

"Of course, don't take any candy from strangers," Rima mumbled, taking a sip of her tea. I gave her an unpleasant look, "Come on Rima, if you were in my position you would have done the same." I tried to reason with her.

"But Amu, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You have the talent," she protested, looking at me with hope. I sent her an uncomfortable look and said, "I just don't think I can do it."

She didn't react, probably expecting that answer. After a few seconds of silence, she heaved a silent sigh.

"Amu, you need to start believing in yourself. You are strong and I know if you let this opportunity pass, you'll definitely regret it," she said in a serious voice, sounding like a parent making a decision for her lost teenager.

"Rima, you know me. You know how bad I am when I'm in front of an audience," I meekly replied, taking a big gulp. "You remember primary school."

This sudden memory brought flashbacks from when I was in year five. I attended Seiyo Primary School along with Rima and Yaya. They both knew my story and didn't dare to speak of it.

It all started with a stupid dare. I remembered I tagged along with a bunch of girls in my class, as they wanted to head towards the Royal Garden. The Royal Garden was a massive glass house and entering inside, I instantly melted at the beautiful sight and the sweet yet calming scent of the flowers. Rows of roses, tulips, orchids and lilies blossomed in the heat as the fragrance powered the whole green house. Too captured with the scene, I didn't bother to interact with the other students.

But I was then suddenly pulled into a big crowd of elementary students as they chit chatted. Once I had realized who these student were, I noticed they were all in the same year level as me. Noticing this, my head instantly shot up and my glittering golden eyes went to search. Suddenly, my eyes focused on the soft blond locks, ruby eyes and the soft smile that mirrored a prince in a fairy tale. Yes, my first love, Hotori Tadase.

He was well known at school; he was admired and loved by many. He was in a fancy group called the Guardians. He was responsible as a school captain. His lenient and leadership qualities were what made me fall in love with him. And don't remind me of his gorgeous face. If I could, I would stay all day long staring at his vivid eyes. 'But no, that will be too creepy.' I thought with a faint blush.

I couldn't help but hold my gaze on prince charming until I was suddenly pulled away by a small group of girls in my class.

"Hinamori-san! Do you like Tadase-kun?" A girl straight forwardly asked in a fragile light voice, which sounded too fake to be real. I instantly blushed as she continued, "I saw you staring at him."

My face grew redder as I was caught red handed.

"So…" she said in an impatient voice. "Do you like him?" She repeated, giving me a repulsive look.

I shyly nodded, looking at the ground, not noticing the other girls snickering in disgust at my shy behavior. After the girl had heard my answer, an evil grin appeared.

The girls then whispered to each other as I continued to stare down, once in a while I looked up to see Tadase smiling and chatting. Before I could see another second of the prince I was suddenly rounded into a corner like a weak sheep by those girls.

Before I could ask what was going on, the previous girl interrupted and said, "you know I heard Tadase say something about you." This sparked my attention as my heart started to flutter at the mention of his name. "R-Really?" I asked, my voice laced with happiness, which almost made one of the girls flinch at my tone.

"Y-Yeah," the previous girl said, biting her tongue to restrain herself.

I waited patiently to continue with what they said. "Well, he said you were cute and he wants you to confess to him," the girl said, a ruthless smile forming on her lips. I instantly smiled, my whole body feeling gooey at the sudden news. 'T-T-Tadese wants me t-to confess!'

"Now, I dare you to go and confess to him," she said, her arms wrapped around her chest with a smug smile.

"W-W-What!" I exclaimed at their sudden idea, a soft pink blush grazing over my cheeks.

"Come on, isn't it obvious you need to confess? He said to me he wants you to," a second girl encouraged, her lips curled in amusement.

I blushed at the thought, but slowly took in what they said. After a few screaming matches in my head, I bashfully nodded and looked up to see the previous girl with a satisfied smile.

"Great! Then I'll get Tadase and you to talk somewhere else," she mumbled.

"Somewhere more private," she suggested as she twirled her wine-colored curls around her fingers. "O-Okay," I mumbled, my heart beating and my head swirling.

I was roughly grabbed by the arm by one of the girls as they dragged me outside. The red haired girl disappeared.

Too excited and eager to see Tadase, I didn't notice where the girls were dragging me until I noticed we were deep in the school grounds that were filled with rows of large trees and a large pond in the center. It was prohibited to be here and before I could protest, the girls had disappeared. I felt anxious yet excited that I would be able to see Tadase and tell him my true feelings. The palms of my hands started to sweat and my body felt like it was on fire. 'Is that how you feel when you are in love?' I wondered to myself.

Slowly distracting myself, I stared oddly at the view of trees and felt a cold whip of air hit my cheeks, almost telling me to escape. The wind harshly blew the branches, making a lashing sound like a whip. But I stayed put and waited patiently and keen to meet him.

A few minutes later, I heard a rattle come from the bush and immediately swirled around to see the culprit. I felt my heart beat faster and the butterflies in my stomach grow as I stared at the gorgeous blond boy.

He slowly approached me with his charming smile that caused my breath to quicken. "T-T-Tadase-kun." I squeaked, my voice small like a mouse. But he seemed to hear what I said and slightly tilted his head to the side asking, "Yes Hinamori-san?" The sight of him was too cute and his angelic voice brought courage back to my voice.

Tightly clutching the edge of my skirt, I looked up and said, "I-I l-like you T-Tadase-kun!"

He was then taken aback in surprise, like he wasn't expecting this. I quickly shut my eyes, my mouth forming a straight line as I bit the insides of my mouth. I wasn't sure if my blush was noticeable, but I definitely felt my cheeks warm. Waiting for a few seconds, I didn't get an answer. So I fluttered my eyes open and was suddenly met with an arrogant smile. Tadase had lost the charming prince façade.

"Wow, you really are stupid. I never thought you would say that," he bluntly said, his voice turned rock cold as his eyes lost the rich and vibrant ruby.

"W-What?" I asked, shocked at the sudden change of character.

Suddenly, a crack of twigs was heard as I whirled around to see what it was. Eyes widening, I instantly regretted everything. Standing before me, were all the students that were in the Royal Garden seconds ago. Loud laughter escaped their lips and a huge smile grazed over their overly happy expressions. I immediately felt my heart stop, tears forming at the sound of my heart breaking.

I turned around to find the blond boy, but his arms wrapped around the previous girl. The girl had barrels of curls nested over her shoulder, dyed a dark wine red.

"See, I told you I can trick anyone. So now are you going to give me my kiss?" The girl pleaded in a voice so innocent that it never occurred to me she had set this up.

"Of course, Sayya," he smiled sweetly at her and gave her a chaste kiss on her cheek.

I felt my whole world break. My heart stopped and the numbness and pain kicked in. All I could focus on was loud laughter suffocating me and the scene repeating in front of me. My head hurt. I wanted to run but my legs couldn't move. I was frozen still.

"HAHAHAHA, SHE LOOKS LIKE A FOOL!" Laughed Sayya as she pointed at my expression. But what had hurt me most was that Tadase laughed along and I could feel my warm tears rolling down my cheeks.

"Now, now, Sayya, we should be kind to our new friend. I should first respond to her confession," Tadase said, his tone of voice sounding very off. "I don't like you."

My heart crushed and felt like someone had crushed it into millions of pieces.

Too weak and emotionally upset, I stayed where I was until the laughter died down. People had gotten bored of the scene and went to seek more entertainment. The last to leave were Tadase and Sayya, holding hands as they walked past the trees and further towards the school.

Once I saw no one around, I dropped on the hard ground and let the tears freely escape. I cried loudly until I was sure that my lungs were going to erupt and my bright red nose was running like a tap. I didn't know how long, but I remember I felt a lot of pain and heart broken. My first love played me like a fool and the following day, the Hinamori Amu that people once knew was locked away.

I came to school the next day, confident and ready to take down any negative comments. I had changed my uniform and my appearance, causing people to acknowledge my looks and become frightened at my drastic change. I had left my shy character and invited my strong and tough one, causing people to admire my strength over the break up. But even with a new appearance or attitude, deep down I felt the lingering pain.

The following days, people had named me "Cool and Spicy." A new character was born.

The air fell silent between us as I recalled the flashback. After the painful rejection from Tadase, I was left in the woods crying until I met Rima, as she happened to appear and took care of me. Even though my love life didn't work out, a new friendship blossomed.

I shivered at the thought of if I was to never be friends with Rima. It didn't sit well in my stomach.

I was gently nudged and I turned my gaze to the small girl. "Amu?" she asked worriedly, giving me a concerned look. "Yeah?" I managed to choke out, trying to sound normal.

"You look a bit pale there," Rima pointed out as I tried to block the past away. "I'm fine," I lied, but there was no response from Rima.

It then fell silent again as I twirled the teaspoon in my tea. Before I could speak, Rima had taken the first approach. "You know, you should do what you want to do, Amu. I'm sorry for forcing you and I don't care what decision you make. I will always be there for you," she said, giving me a small smile that I knew well.

"Rima…" I whispered. "Thank you… for everything," I said, hugging her. After pulling away from the longest hug, I then said, "You being all mushy and gooey doesn't fit you."

"I should be saying the same for you, too," she replied back with a grin.

"You know me too well," I gladly said and smiled.

* * *

"Are you serious about this?" Repeated the dark haired man as he looked sternly at the familiar blue-haired teen.

"I am certain. She is perfect," Ikuto assured, smirking.

"But she has already rejected you. What makes you think she will join?" Asked a concerned woman with long thick brown hair and emerald green eyes.

"I have my ways," Ikuto said, not at all concerned by the two adults' hesitation.

"After all, I always get what I want." Ikuto smirked then walked away.

* * *

**Authors Note: Thank you for reading chapter 2 and for the lovely reviews. I never expected to get this amount of reviews for the first chapter. I was really stunned, but happy! :) Also, thanks for the favorites/alerts on this story. AND, thank you to my beta-reader! **

**Don't forget to drop a review, until next time bye! **


	3. Black Mail

**One Step with Music to Life**

**Step 3: Blackmail**

Exiting the Hinamori residence, I was met with the blue clear sky. It was a great way to start off the day, I hoped. After yesterday's mishap, I expected stares and gossip floating around the school grounds. And of course, I was correct.

Greeted at school, loud whispers filled the air about yesterday, which made me flinch at the sound of my name. It brought back bad memories. Aside from that, I pulled myself together and held my cool and spicy facade. I ignored the chit-chat and marched past without any regret.

"Amazing, she is so fearless!" A student whispered loud enough for me to hear.

"She chose the wrong answer. If I was her I would have said yes!" Another student said, almost in a persuading tone. I shook my head. There was no way I was taking my answer back!

I frowned at the students who were siding with that Tsukiyomi Ikuto. I had practically been in this school for three years now and they take sides with him even though he just joined fives hour ago? But then again, he was a famous singer. But still!

This went on for a couple of minutes until I met Rima.

"Morning Amu," said Rima. She was currently focused on her phone.

"Hey," I said, waving my hand in front of the girl.

I nudged her. "What's up with you?" I said, giving her a questioning look.

"Look," she pointed at her phone and passed it for me to see.

It was an email sent from students in Seiyo High. The page landed on 'Hot Topics' and the hot topic was, 'AUDITIONS FOR XFIGURES – Lunch TODAY.' Underneath the title, there were over at least 300 messages. I was shocked at the amount of people participating.

"Wow," I gasped.

"I know, scroll down more," Rima instructed. I nodded and pressed the down key.

A new hot topic was made seven hours ago. 'HINAMORI AMU REJECTS XFIGURE!' My jaw dropped down as I stared foolishly at the orange phone.

"W-what in the world happened…?" I asked, earning a shrug from Rima.

"Who knows, but look how many people messaged," Rima said as I curiously looked. Just then, my eyes almost jumped out. There was over 500 messages as I stared blankly at the small device.

"How in the world did this happen?" I asked, yet again.

"You rejected his offer," Rima said in a bored tone.

"W-Wait a minute… The auditions, isn't that today?" I asked, dumbfounded. Rima nodded. "Oh. Then that means they will find someone, right?" I asked again, my voice dry. Rima shrugged. "Awesome, then he won't pester me!" I smiled, feeling accomplished that I had resolved the problem. Again, Rima shrugged. I sweat-dropped at her given answers, but shrugged as well.

"Let's just get to class," I mumbled, handing Rima back her phone and heading towards the shoe locker.

I was then met with strange stares from students as I opened my lock. Before I could touch the handle, the door swung open, revealing piles of letters scattering the ground. I stared, astonished at the amount and wondered what they were for. Before I could open then, I instantly recognized them as hate mail. And of course, I knew the reason why. I mumbled a few curse words and calmly shoved the other mail out of my shoe locker. Not caring if it messily landed on the floor. But I caught a few snobbish looks from other girls, as they were staring at me with intense glares. Rima came along with her indoor shoes on and mirrored the same expression as mine. She helped me clean my locker and placed the left over mail in the trash can.

"I swear people need to grow up," Rima glared at one of the girls who was sending us a glare.

"Don't mind them; they are just Tsukiyomi Ikuto's sheep," I mumbled, my golden eyes darting to one of the girls. She looked frightened for a second and quickly retrieved her shoes and marched off, not saying a word.

I heavily sighed and knew today was going to be long and awful. Yay.

Lunch had finally approached and I was relieved. The excitement grew in the air as students ran to the auditorium. The XFigure's Auditions began precisely at lunch. I rolled my eyes and headed towards the cafeteria. Entering inside, I was met with an empty line and empty tables. 'Awesome' I thought as a devilish smile crept up.

"Can I please get a pie?" I asked the lady who was selling the hot food.

"Sure thing, honey," She replied, preparing the food. I handed her the money and then she asked, "Are you going to head over to the auditorium, dear? I heard there will be auditions."

I shook my head. "No thanks. I would rather enjoy the weather than be cooped up in a roaring crowd," I replied, giving her a polite smile. She returned it back and replied, "Have fun."

Walking away, I headed towards my safe haven: the cherry blossom trees, of course. I had gotten a text from Rima that she'd be in the bathroom and she'd meet me shortly.

I heaved out a heavy sigh. Resting against the tree trunk, I took a bite out of my pie. Oh my, this is heaven. I slowly ate the warm and tasty pie, savoring its crispy crust while under the trees of delight; if I could, I would replay this moment all the time.

"Found you."

I jumped up, startled at the voice. My pie moment disappeared. I quickly turned around and my eyes met Tsukiyomi's. That mischievous smirk was plastered on his face. I scanned his appearance. He wore the male's uniform which was the white blouse - which he had messily rolled the sleeves - black slacks, and a loose tie like mine. 'God he looks gorgeous.'

What? What did I say?

I blushed at the thought and hoped my blush wasn't visible. 'Get yourself together, Amu!'

I shot him a glare while biting the inside of my mouth. I then gave him an annoyed look since he had ruin my pie moment.

"What do you want?" I harshly spat. I didn't expect my voice to sound evil but it just added oil to the fire.

His smirk grew and his eyes held amusement. The inside of me was raging and I just wanted to slap that stupid and hot face. WAIT, did I just say hot?

'No, no, no Amu. Get a hold of yourself!' I mentally yelled.

Suddenly, strong hands pulled me up, making me drop my tasty lunch and earning a pout. "What are you doing!" I yelled, angrier at the fact he had ruined my lunch than the lingering pain on my arm.

I was then pushed against the tree trunk while his muscular body caged me in like a predator and its prey. A deep red blush appeared on my cheeks and I could hear the sound of my heart racing. He placed his hand over the side of my face and his eyes locked with mine. I could even feel his breath and smell this light, lingering scent of mint. I wanted to turn away from his azure gaze but my honeycomb eyes wouldn't budge.

He lowered his shoulders until his face was in front of mine. He breathed in and I could feel the air around us closing in as he took that breath.

"I want you in my band."

"And I said no," I replied with a frown.

He lowered his eyebrows, causing me to be in awe at how cute he looked. 'Wait? WHAT?'

It was silent. Not even a sound of movement was heard. I felt uncomfortable, so taking a deep breath, I gently coughed to lift the heavy air around us.

"Why can't you see it, Amu? That talent you have is something that not many are born with. Join my band and I will show the world what you got," he insisted again, his eyes powered with motivation.

"You are really persistent," I mumbled, crossing my arms around my chest. He chuckled and took his arm away from the trunk, enlarging the space between us.

"Listen Amu, I need you."

Those words caused my heart to flutter and butterflies in my stomach to grow.

"W-What?" I stuttered, my face flustered.

"I need you," he repeated.

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "I am not a toy to be played with, Tsukiyomi Ikuto. And it's 'Hinamori'," I corrected.

His famous smirk appeared as he slid his slender hands into his pockets.

"You see, Amu..." I sent him a glare at the sound of my name being used when I had just corrected him. He continued, "I am being nice here. I am offering you something that is worth everything to those who want to be a star. I will not let go once I've drawn my knife."

'Knife?' I thought. 'What an idiot.'

His expression then turned into a mischievous smirk. I gulped at the hard rock launched inside my throat.

"You give me no choice, _Amu,"_ he purred out my name, sending shivers down my back. Suddenly, his hands appeared with a phone in his hold. He pressed a few keys and instantly the heavy air was swallowed at the sound of my voice.

I could hear it. I could hear the light singing coming out from that small device as my eyes darted in shock.

Staring at the screen, I could see my rose hair and my eyes fluttered closed as I sang the last verse of Beautiful Dancer. I looked relaxed, almost like I was enjoying it. I was shocked. 'Is that how I look when I sing?' The phone was pointed in a weird angle, so it only showed my pink hair, but you could easily make out my face. I was resting against the trunk and my feet lightly drummed on the ground. My lips dropped open and my cheeks burnt with embarrassment. 'H-h-h-he recorded me!'

Once the video had ended, my gaze turned directly to him. I gritted my teeth at that arrogant grin. Before I could spit a few curse words at his face, he interrupted.

"You know, I've been studying you, Hinamori Amu. You have this thick wall around you that you don't want anyone to climb over. You are hiding yourself. I don't know why, but I'm certain I will find out."

I gasped, "Y-You don't know anything." My voice was shaky.

"But Amu, you're an open book. I can see it in your eyes. You may think you have the power, but I found that source to it," he then lifted his phone so it was right in front of my eyes.

"And I will make good use of it…" His teasing smirk appeared, causing me to grit my teeth harder.

"You wouldn't," I barked back.

He shrugged. "I will if I have to," he simply replied.

I groaned, my eyes dropping to the ground. What was I going to do? I didn't want to join this stupid band. But I didn't want people to see this video. Oh my god, why does it have to be so complicated. Damn this Tsukiyomi Ikuto, I wish he had never heard me sing. No, I wish I never had this talent.

I shot him a glare. "What's the point? If I was to join your band, people would hear me sing. Your threat is invalid," I smartly remarked.

"Ah, you're forgetting something, Amu. I have the source to your power. I can do whatever I want. I can either turn this video into something scandalous or turn it into winning gold," Ikuto responded.

I gritted my teeth again which made a sharp click. I knew Ikuto was famous and strong. I also knew he was the son of the owner of the most well-known music company, 'The Easter Organization.' No wonder he had an arrogant personality - because of his spoiled past. Defeated, I didn't respond. No words could come out. I didn't want this foolish teenager to ruin my life. I didn't want that video to turn into something scandalous and go viral. It could possibly ruin my shot at college in London.

Ikuto seemed to understand what I was thinking as a victorious smirk appeared. He suddenly grabbed a firm hold of my hands, which made my cheeks warm up. He then dragged me in the direction he was heading and ignored my echoing shouts.

"What are you doing?" I barked. He kept silent, but that smug look remained. I pouted, giving up and just letting him do whatever he wanted.

Noticing my surroundings, we were heading towards the auditorium. I gasped and struggled to get out of his tight hold. "I d-don't think this is a good idea," I weakly replied as we entered inside and headed towards the backstage. I could see students gazing at us as they lined up with their number.

"Trust me," Ikuto said with a firm voice. I almost caved in. 'No Amu, he is the bad guy!'

I puffed a heavy sigh as his hold grew a lot stronger. It felt assuring and safe. I blushed at the fact that this famous and handsome idol was holding an ordinary girl's hand. It made my heart skip. Just a little.

Suddenly, the heavy door in front of us was pushed open and I could see the clear faces of the rest of the band. They were drop dead gorgeous.

They all had this bright aura around them that could make a group of fangirls faint.

"Where were you Ikuto?" Complained Kukai. He had messy coffee-coloured hair and olive eyes that were pointing daggers at Ikuto.

"You should have seen it. They were terrible," he bluntly continued, his tongue sticking out in disgust as his facial expression changed to horror. "I thought they were going to destroy my hearing," he added, not at all noticing me.

"Ahem," Nagihiko coughed, causing all eyes to be on him. Nagihiko had long violet hair that dropped down behind his back and gentle golden eyes similar to mine. He wore a calm look with a hint of curiosity at the new visitor.

"Who's that?" Kairi asked, pointing at me. Kairi had short olive hair that was straightly brushed into its correct spot. He had matching coloured eyes and he wore square-rimmed glasses. I blushed as everyone else in the room looked puzzled except for Ikuto and me.

Their shimmering eyes almost caught me off guard as the three ridiculously handsome guys all stared at me.

"You'll see," Ikuto replied with a slight grin. He then walked towards the stage, where I abruptly stopped and dug my heels into the wooden floor. I shook my head. "What are you trying to do?" I asked, my voice laced with distress.

"Trust me," Ikuto said in a reassuring voice again. I bit the bottom of my lip and said, "I don't think I can."

"Don't think, just do."

I wanted to shout and tell him to stop. I could already see the stage in view and the bright spot light. I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to see them. I didn't want this!

Before I could yell a complaint, we were already on stage. I could feel my heart rate quicken and this uneasy feeling tighten around my stomach. I was scared.

Suddenly, I felt a gentle squeeze and looked up. I saw Ikuto's reassuring eyes and I took a deep breath. We then appeared in the center of the stage and were met with rows of students sitting and patiently waiting for their turn to audition. I stared at the large crowd and wanted to run away. All eyes were on us.

"Students of Seiyo High, we will cancel the auditions. For we have found our new member," Ikuto informed with a strong voice that echoed inside the hall. He suddenly lifted my arm so it was above our heads and all attention was brought to me.

* * *

**Authors Note: Don't forget to review. I want to know your feed backs! It only takes 10 seconds and I just wanna say thank you to those who did review in my previous chapter. I really appreciate it :) Til next time, bye! **


	4. The Contract

**One Step with Music to Life**

**Step 4: The Contract**

"WHAT!" Screamed the fiery Rima.

"I leave you for 10 minutes and you come back joining a band!" Rima screamed, her cheeks burning pink and her golden eyes piercing through mine. I gave her a second to breathe before quietly nodding.

She stared at me again with unbelieving eyes. I could see a lot of disbelief in her eyes and pure shock. I too was shocked.

"If you had come back earlier, this wouldn't have happened!" I complained back, my anger turning directly to her.

"Me? But you accepted it!" She complained with the same tone I used. I heaved a heavy sigh and shook my head. "It's not what you think it is."

She stared at me again giving me that 'spit-out-the-truth-Amu' look.

Taking a deep breath, I told her everything. From my pie moment to Ikuto's black mail. Rima's jaw dropped open and a few strangers had stopped walking to stare at Rima's impoliteness. I nudged her to remind her we were in public.

After Ikuto had stupidly announced me as his new member in front of the crowd, I was left with curious and shocked eyes piercing through me. Before I could make a run for it, the curtains had closed right on cue, and then I pulled the 'Hinamori Amu dash'. I couldn't help it, it was in my blood.

"That son of a cow," Rima cursed, her tone lowered as she gritted her teeth. I nodded in agreement, "I know."

After we were a few blocks away from the school, we were faced with our stop. It was time for Rima and me to part ways.

"Well, I'm glad you're joining the band. I was just disappointed that you didn't tell me that you wanted to join," Rima confessed.

"You would have been the first person to know, Rima," I replied back, my lips curled into a smile. "But why are you glad that I'm joining that band? I don't want to!" I complained, my smile disappearing.

"It'll boost your confidence," she replied.

"Eh? No way, I have to join a band full of boys!" I dramatically screamed, my hands meeting my forehead.

"Trust me, you'll be fine," Rima said with a reassuring smile. "Where is it that I've heard this before?" I wondered out loud, dumbfounded. She let out a small giggle and shrugged.

"See ya, Amu," she waved and headed in her direction. I awkwardly waved at her disappearing small figure and turned towards the direction of my house.

Meeting my white bricked home, I unlocked the door and twisted the door knob open. It made a stiff squeak, almost like I was entering a haunted house. Slipping my shoes off, I saw three pairs of shoes neatly lined up on floor. 'Do we have guests over?' I wondered as I peered around the house. I then saw the guest room light on and quietly turned the other way to sneak inside my room. 'It's probably one of mama's colleagues,' I thought.

Suddenly, mama's voice shattered my escape plan. "Amu, dear? Are you home? Come down here," her voice was calm, which was unlikely because once she was in her serious mode her voice sounded like a demon.

I swallowed in my sand paper throat, having a bad vibe about this. I turned around and headed towards the guest room. Entering inside, my eyes grew wide at the sight of Ikuto, comfortably sitting on the green tea couch. I then noticed two beautiful adults sitting beside Ikuto as they slowly sipped on tea. I gasped. 'What is Ikuto doing here?' I thought. 'And who are they?' I wondered, staring at the two beautiful adults. One was a male; maybe around his early 30's. He had short dark hair and silver moonlight eyes. Sitting beside him was this beautiful lady. She had baby smooth skin and thick chocolate brown hair that was plaited at the side of her head, framing her small head and brightening her emerald green eyes. They both looked like models.

I gulped at the hard stone launched in my throat and could easily hear papa's whimpers. "W-What's going on here?" I asked, breaking the deafening silence.

"And how did Ikuto get in the house?" I asked, my eyes going hazy at sight and I wondered if I was seeing things.

I was suddenly grabbed by the arm and noticed it was mama's firm hold. She pulled me up a seat across from the guests as I stared foolishly.

"Honey, please close your mouth. It's rude," mama leaned against me and whispered in my ear. I suddenly snapped out of my dreamland and closed my mouth. I kept silent.

"We are sorry for coming over uninvited," started the woman as she gave my parents both an apologetic look. Her eyes then traveled to me and I could see my own reflection in her eyes.

"I just wanted to meet our new star," she finished with a smile. Both my parents looked around each other and mirrored a questioning look.

"Before I can explain, let us introduce ourselves," said the man, and pulled his hand out to my parents. "My name is Yamato Aoran," he greeted. My parents respectfully shook hands with him.

"And I am Haruna Mitsuki," bowed the woman as her eyes finally left mine. My parents once again nodded and turned to Ikuto.

"And this here is Tsukiyomi Ikuto. He is the son of the Easter Organization and the soon-to-be heir," Aoran spoke, his eyes pointing to Ikuto. My eyes then darted at Ikuto as he watched the two make introductions.

"We are here to ask permission for your daughter Hinamori Amu to join the new and undergoing band, XFigure," he finished. My parents then looked shocked at the sudden request.

"B-band?" Papa gasped, his eyes lost in confusion.

"Yes, a band. We are the managers of the new band called XFigures. The leader of the band, who is Ikuto-kun, has requested Amu-san to join, and we were told she had accepted," Mitsuki smoothly said. Her voice was soft.

Then both frantic eyes were turned to me.

I looked nervously around and could see worry in mama's eyes, and could hear papa's over-exaggerating pleas to know what was going on.

I could tell them both now and confess that Ikuto had blackmailed me to join, or tell them a white lie. But if I did tell them about Ikuto, papa would most likely throw him out of the house and lock a protective system around me. And who knows what Ikuto would do with that video…

I numbly looked at my parents, my teeth rubbing against each other with worry. I nervously nodded and said, "Yeah, I said I would join."

After a few seconds of quiet, mama's eyes sparkled in delight. "Really, Amu?" Mama asked in her overly squeaky voice. It meant she was happy, unlike papa.

"REALLY AMU?!" Screamed papa. He instantly shot up from his seat, sending worried pleas. I nodded again.

Tears then ran down his cheeks and formed an overflowing river. "MY LITTLE SPARROW IS GROWING TOO FAST. I'M TOO OLD FOR YOU, AREN'T I? WHY MUST YOU GROW UP?" he frantically screamed and marched out of the guest room and into the bathroom. This was a common thing in the household. But with guests…

Mama and I sweat-dropped at the expected result from papa as mama explained papa's exaggerated 'escape' to them. Aoran and Mitsuki both laughed in unison as mama made a few jokes and told them the story about papa escaping and Ami having to watch over as his guard dog.

The tension slowly left and I could feel mama brightening the room. But what got me feeling uncomfortable were Ikuto's stares. I would occasionally look up to see him, but at once I'd turn away. His eyes would catch mine and we would awkwardly stare before one of us broke away. And I was usually the one that would look away with the tiny hint of a blush.

"So you think Amu will make it in the music world?" Mama asked Mitsuki and Aoran. They both nodded.

"Certainly. If she joins our company, I assure you your daughter has the talent that will have power over many audiences," Aoran confidently spoke.

"After all, I chose her," Ikuto said in his husky voice.

"But I've never heard Amu sing. Do you think she can do it even though she doesn't know how to sing?" Mama questioned as small pins stabbed through my heart. I knew she didn't know I could sing, but hearing her say that in doubt made the insides of my gut turn.

"Your daughter can sing," Ikuto bluntly said, "you just haven't heard her voice." Ikuto pulled his phone out of his pocket, almost in the same fashion he did for me. Mama then watched the video as her eyes widened and a wash of happiness flooded across her face.

"You sound beautiful, dear," Mama smiled as her voice grew silent. I blushed at her compliment and could see watchful eyes staring at me. It was Aoran and Mitsuki. Though I was staring at mama, I caught a glimpse of them nodding and smiling.

Mama slowly nodded, taking everything in as both adults and Ikuto explained. She then turned to me, her caramel brown hair whipped to the side.

"You sure about this, dear?" She asked in concern. I didn't hesitate, but nodded. I wasn't sure what had gotten into me, but after hearing mama's compliment, my inner self had freely broken a block off the brick wall and allowed my true self to appear.

"I'm certain. I want to become a singer," I confidently said, not at all noticing the firmness in my voice.

Mama nodded and a smile grew on her face, "I'll get papa to agree. But he'll surely agree because he wants the best for you. No, we both want the best for you."

A joyful smile formed on my lips and I felt a giddy feeling. We then turned our direction to Aoran and Mitsuki as they pulled out a thick pile of paperwork. Printed in bold it said, 'The Contract.'

Aoran had slid the papers across the brown coffee table as the simple words stared at us.

"This here is Amu-san's contract. This is only a 6 month contract and she cannot back down. She must complete the contract. If she cannot continue 6 months, she will be charged costly by the company," Aoran said in a robotic voice. Almost like he was reading the lines he had recently rehearsed. Mama and I nodded as we stared at the thick document. I thickly swallowed and, my hands fluttering, opened the papers.

"We want both of you to carefully read through and anything you don't understand, please ask. We cannot change the demands; however, we will do whatever we can to meet your expectations," Mitsuki carefully said in a warning tone, almost scared that we might call off the deal.

I then read the first page. It talked about safety issue. Four minutes later, I was halfway through the document. But then I came across an interesting topic. I repeatedly read, _'After the 6 month contract, Hinamori Amu will be given 500,000 dollars as the final pay. However, if she does not meet every demand being printed on this contract, her pay check will decrease every 50,000 dollars.'_

Oh my goodness! That's half of a million dollars! That would pay all my college fees and possibly buy me a car after I graduated. 'Oh my god, this is awesome!' I squealed inside my head. But six months… wasn't that a bit too short? And why were they so strict about the demands?

I then continued to read as mama continued to create small talk with them, and discovered Mitsuki and Aoran were previous models. My head instantly shot up as I mentally patted my back for guessing correctly. I forgot what I had read as I invited myself into their conversation.

"Models?" I asked, astonished.

They both turned their attention to me. "Yes, we began modeling at 17," Mitsuki proudly said as she smiled, showing her pearly white teeth.

"Oh my, no wonder both of you are so gorgeous, including you Ikuto," Mama giggled and this caught Ikuto's undivided attention. I then scoffed. "Gorgeous my ass," I mumbled, more to myself. But Ikuto seemed to catch this and stared straightly at me.

"I know your ass does indeed look gorgeous," he teased, his voice low as Mitsuki's laughter overpowered his voice at mama's attempted joke. No one had noticed what Ikuto had said but me. I turned my gaze to that teasing smile and made a disgusting face.

"You pervert," I said, furrowing my eyebrows.

"Strawberry panties," he mouthed. I instantly turned bright red at the sudden memory, and knew Ikuto would never let me forget that embarrassing moment. I growled at that amused smile and I could feel my blood boiling.

Before I could retort, I was interrupted by the sound of a pen rolling against the paperwork as Aoran's silver eyes stared into mine.

"You finished reading?" He asked, not at all in a rude manner. I shook my head. "I got a couple more pages to go," I said as I flipped through the next page, forgetting I hadn't finish reading the previous page.

As I reached towards the end, I thought it was a pretty good deal. The demands weren't that bad. I then hesitantly grabbed the pen and tucked it between my fingers. Before the pen could touch the paper, mama interrupted.

"I'm just double-checking, sweet heart. Are you sure about this? Are you happy about the terms and conditions? Do you feel comfortable going through this for six months?" She asked, her voice laced in worry.

I once again nodded, "I am certain." And before another word could roll out of her mouth, I neatly signed my name in an elegant font. After all, scribbling signatures in my planner was my new hobby at school. Practice makes perfect.

"Congratulations, Amu. Welcome to XFigure." Ikuto stood up as he took out his hand from his pocket. I gladly shook it and could feel every bone in my body become overwhelmed with excitement.


	5. Morning Wake Up

**I apologize for the late update. School has been eating up my free time.**

* * *

**Step 5: Morning wake up**

You know that feeling when you're so cozy in bed that you don't ever want to escape the warmth? Well, my mind was lost in the deep end of the sea and I couldn't wake up. I silently lay on my bed, listening to the soothing bird singing and a few noises from downstairs. After the meeting with Ikuto's managers, I had never felt so happy. I didn't know why, but I just felt good. I groggily opened one eye, but was suddenly met with the vivid morning light. I hastily closed them again and allowed my head to be drugged in ecstasy.

What felt like a few minutes that had passed, which was actually hours, I suddenly heard my room door squeak open and instantly thought it was mama preparing to wake me up. God, it was Saturday! Can't a girl get some beauty sleep?

I waited for the nudge on my shoulder, but was met with silence. I groaned and turned my head the other way so it was facing the door. I didn't bother to open my eyes since they were sealed shut and refused to open.

A shuffling noise was heard and I could hear my closet door open, sounding like someone was taking clothes out, before they threw them on top of me. I groaned louder at the sudden weight on my stomach but my eyes stayed closed.

"Amu," purred a soft voice. It sounded familiar, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Was it mama?

"Amu," the voice repeated, and I could have sworn I heard Ikuto. But I laughed it off and knew Ikuto couldn't be in my room. I felt my covers being pulled off and I quickly grabbed them, yanking them forward, up to my neck.

"Mmmhph," I moaned, refusing to see the bright morning. Then I felt this soft breathing against the shell of my ear and it kind of tickled me. I groaned again, "Mama, let me go to sleep."

"Sorry, sweet heart, but you have a date today."

Immediately, my eyes snapped open and I was met with crystal sea-coloured eyes. I screamed and quickly crawled away on the bed until I was met with thin air. I dropped onto the hard floor, followed by my jungle of blankets.

Still bruised on the floor, I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing things. Was I dreaming this? Was Ikuto really in my room? Couldn't be… I was just seeing things.

I peered over my bed and was met with that stupid smirk. I had to be dreaming…

"Ikuto?" I asked, my voice weak as I slowly got up. Not realizing this wasn't a dream.

"Yes, my princess?"He asked, his head tilting up as he flashed me a grin.

"Stuff you," I said, walking past him and lifting the covers. I crawled inside to be welcomed by the warmth. A few seconds later, I didn't feel the warmth on my bed, but the uncomfortable air instead. I instantly got up, my pink hair flying to the side of my head as I whipped around to see Ikuto.

He suddenly chuckled as my heart rate quickened. This wasn't a dream! Ikuto was here the whole time.

"W-what are you doing here?" I frantically asked, pulling the covers over me and grabbing the nearest pillows, to throw at Ikuto. He swiftly dodged all my attacks, which only made my anger grow. "H-how the hell did you get in here?" I screamed, my cheeks puffing for air as I realized I was out of pillows to throw.

"GET OUT!" I shouted, throwing my blanket at him, which he didn't dodge. It landed on top of his head as it cascaded down his tall body. He looked like a bloody ghost.

Silence filled the air until I burst out in laughter. I crouched down the bed as I was suffocated by the sound of my laughter. This got Ikuto a bit annoyed as he threw the covers off and I could see the irritated look in his eyes. Oops.

"Sweet heart, go get changed now. We're leaving in 10 minutes," Ikuto calmly said, but I could hear the annoyed tone in his voice.

"Yes love," I teased as I got off my bed and was about to take off my tank top. I paused my movements.

I swirled around to the amused Ikuto. "Wait, why the hell are you here?" I asked, completely forgetting my attire.

"Your mum invited me in. By the way, your family went shopping since you didn't wake up," he explained.

I bit my bottom lip. "It doesn't mean you can just come into my room," I grumbled, crossing my arms in annoyance.

His eyes scanned over my appearance as I stared at him questioningly. I then followed his gaze and realized I was only wearing a tank top and short shorts. Oh no.

"PERVERT!" I screamed as I tossed him out the door with a loud bang, and instantly heard his laughter on the other side of the door.

"Get ready, strawberry. We're leaving in 9 minutes now," he called back. "What! 9 minutes? Where are we exactly going?" I called back as I yawned-yelled.

"Just get ready. And wear the clothes I picked out," he said as I heard footsteps walking away from my room.

"Yes mum," I answered and rolled my eyes. I scanned my bed to find the clothes messily on the ground. Picking them up, I observed the clothes Ikuto had chosen.

"Not bad, Ikuto," I said softly, seeing my favorite black leather skirt and an oversized knit jumper. It was navy blue with golden crosses knitted into the fabric with golden beads shaped as crosses sewed onto it.

Quickly changing into my new outfit, I exited my room and went to the bathroom. I had to brush my tangled hair multiple times until it was decent looking. I brushed my teeth and washed my face. Lastly, checking myself in the mirror, I left and walked downstairs.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"12pm," Ikuto answered.

"Woah, I thought it was only 9," I mumbled. I scavenged through the cupboard to find something to nibble on until I came across some apples sitting on the dining table. I grabbed two and threw one to Ikuto.

"Let's go," I said but was stopped by Ikuto. He handed me my ankle-length black socks and plain black shoes.

"What are you, my mum?" I gave him a displeased look and took them to slip them on.

"Nope, I'm your butler," Ikuto teasingly replied as he bowed down. I playfully slapped his head.

"Shut up."

Allowing the intruding sound to escape my lips, I yawned, water droplets forming in my eyes.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked as we walked together on the concrete path leading to the main streets of Tokyo.

"Easter," Ikuto replied. I halted for a moment.

"Easter?" I wondered out loud. Ikuto nodded in response.

I continued to walk and blindly followed. Why did I have to go to Easter? Did they need me? Oh right, maybe I start practice… Wait, already?

Ikuto stared at my puzzled face as his gaze turned to me. "Expecting something else," a smirk appeared, "like a date?"

My eyebrows twitched as I bit the inside of my mouth. "Hell no," I answered quickly.

This made Ikuto pout as he furrowed his eyebrows and faked a shocked expression. "Oh my, my strawberry is being so mean," he said in a sad voice as he dramatically placed his hand over his heart.

"God, you're such a drama queen," I mumbled, rolling my eyes. He chuckled at my answer and placed his hand over his mouth to muffle the laughter. My cheeks warmed up as I stubbornly looked away.

'Why am I getting along with him? He's the one who forced me into his band.' I thought, confused, until I was interrupted by the honking streets of Tokyo. We walked deeper into the crowded city until Ikuto and I came across rows and rows of buildings ahead of us.

"Where is Easter, anyways?" I asked Ikuto as he continued to lead us.

After what had felt like hours of walking, we had finally arrived at the massive industry. I stared in surprise at the powerful building. The building was made of grey, opaque glass and I could see a reflection of myself on the mirrored windows. I gulped at the invisible rock in my throat as we went inside.

Ikuto walked over to enter the elevator. I trailed along, feeling small as a mouse as all eyes were on me. They quickly lost interest in me once Ikuto came into sight.

I entered inside with Ikuto as the door was about to close. I passed a line of people waiting for the elevator. Strange. Why weren't they coming inside? It was only me and Ikuto, yet this elevator could fit at least 20 people.

"Um, you can come-" I said in a loud voice, hoping I could catch a few business mens' attention, but was interrupted by the door closing.

"Strange…" I stared at the mirrored wall and saw Ikuto's undivided attention on the reflection. He had this stern look on his face ane I wondered what he was thinking. Rows of people were waiting for the elevator, yet no one entered when Ikuto and I got in. Were they afraid of Ikuto? Was Ikuto that powerful…?

Before I could ask Ikuto questions, the thought vanished at the soft sound of the ring as the doors opened. We exited and were met with red velvet carpet cushioning our feet, and creamy walls. It was a narrow hallway and I continued to follow behind Ikuto.

"Why am I here again?" I asked Ikuto, but he continued to play silent. I sighed and followed until we came across a wooden door. Ikuto twisted the door knob and I was expecting to see more boring walls, but encountered deep blue walls and a black couch on one side of the room. A massive plasma TV was mounted on the wall and few game consoles were lying around. This was definitely a guy's room.

'Oh no, what have I gotten myself into..?' I wondered in my head as I gazed at the sight. Before I could retreat, a familiar voice rang in my ears.

"Hinamori, welcome!" I poked my head inside and was met with the sight of Kukai. He was currently sitting on the edge of the couch but he rose up and headed towards me and Ikuto.

"What brings you here, Hinamori?" His voice sounded velvety as he sent me a questioning look. I shrugged. I honestly didn't know why I was even here. Kukai then returned my answer with a goofy smile.

"Speak of the devil…" appeared another familiar voice. Out came Nagihiko from the other side of the room. "Ikuto, why did you call us here?" he asked and Ikuto remained silent.

Before the two could get any answers from Ikuto, Ikuto asked, "where's Kairi?"

Kukai shrugged, whereas Nagihiko sighed. "Who knows? But he'll come soon," he replied as he walked towards us.

"Hello Hinamori-san, I'm Fujisaki Nagihiko. Pleasure to meet you," Nagihiko greeted politely. 'He knows my name…' I thought silently as I stared at his gentle smile.

"H-hello," I said.

"I heard that Ikuto wanted a female member in our band… didn't expect it to be so quick," commented Nagihiko as I nodded meekly.

"Well, welcome!" Shouted a happy Kukai as he came over and slapped my back. I almost fell forward at the sudden force but regained my balance. "Sorry," he muttered as his smile slipped.

"I'm Souma Kukai. Hope we can be great buddies!" Kukai cheered as he swung his arm around me, enlarging the distance between me and Ikuto.

"U-Um yeah," I mumbled, Kukai's weight on my shoulder and the closeness between us was sending me shocks.

"Get off of her!" Complained Nagihiko as Kukai chuckled and I giggled along. I watched the two as they bickered.

My eyes traveled towards Ikuto. He had left his spot and had walked over to the couch, sitting comfortably. One of his long legs was draped over the other as he leaned his elbow against the arm of the chair. He was currently reading a magazine. I walked over, curious to what he was reading. I sat beside him, making sure the distance was a good amount. I peeked over his shoulder and saw the music chart rank. Glancing at the victory top, I saw the name 'Shiroi Ouji' (White Prince). I had never heard of the band before. 'Maybe it's a new band,' I thought.

The magazine slammed shut as I gazed at Ikuto. He held his hard stare until, seconds later, it was released with a sigh. I didn't ask what was wrong, but stared. I watched as he placed the magazine down and stared at the midnight-coloured wall.

"Stop staring," he muttered and I instantly felt my cheeks warming. He then turned directly to me. "I know I'm irresistible but there's got to be some boundaries between us. Ya know?" He joked, revealing his famous smirk. I gritted my teeth. Damn that cockiness of his.

"Who would want to stare at you?" I mumbled, crossing my arms and puffing my cheeks. Even though I knew my words weren't completely true. But damn him!

He only chuckled at my response and this only allowed my embarrassment to sink deeper.

"S-shut u-"

The door viciously swung open, making a whooshing sound. In came Mitsuki and Aoran. They stepped in as Kukai and Nagihiko finally stopped bickering.

"Great to see you, Hinamori-san. Sorry for the late notice, but we needed everyone here," Aoran said. I only nodded as I waited for their next demand.

"First things are first, we need you to meet your make-up artist, choreographer, music writer and our best chef!" announced Mitsuki.

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**This whole week I'll be really busy due to exams coming up. So I don't know when I'll be updating...**

**Kindly review! I want to hear your thoughts on this chapter and what you think I should write more about :) **


	6. The Crew

**One Step with Music to Life**

**Step 6: The Crew**

Following the path that had led us into the room, Ikuto and the others had dragged me towards the stairs and up the tremendous building that probably had over a hundred levels.

"Just where are we going?" I asked, briefly looking up to see Kukai's back and his dashing figure as he bolted up the stairs.

"Quickly, Hinamori!" Kukai yelled back as I let out a heavy sigh. 'Damn these shoes,' I thought as I glared at my low-heeled shoes and the fact that Ikuto had chosen them for all of these stupid steps.

We finally reached about four levels higher than the ground and I grinned with triumph at my achievement. I marched away like a fabulous person. It felt good. But I looked like an idiot. But it were the feelings that counted.

"Is she alright?" Whispered Nagihiko as he nudged Kairi in the side with his elbow. Kairi blankly shrugged and I watched the two have watchful eyes. But I wiped it off and continued to gloat to myself about my accomplishment.

Before I could take another step, I felt a harsh tug on the neck of my sweater and I halted to a stop. I viciously turned around to glare at the harsh treatment and saw Ikuto with that same old poker face.

"Wrong way, sugar pop," he teased as he pulled me into another direction.

"Watch it, sugar pie," I hissed at the new nickname he had given me. This only caused him to smirk at the nickname that I had given him but he continued to pull my poor sweater.

"Let go!" I whined, trying to be released from the tight hold. He had forgotten that he was holding onto me and apologized quietly.

"I-it's alright," I mumbled and slid strands of hair behind my ear. I wasn't expecting a sorry from Ikuto considering all the teasing I had gotten from him.

We were all now facing a white door with a golden doorknob. There were small decorations around the door frame. I saw a heart, spade, clover and diamond. It was an interesting design and it made the whole door look girly and pretty cute. As I turned around to see the guys, they all held their breath except for Ikuto.

I gave them a questioning look as Nagihiko suggested for me to do the same thing. "Hold your breath, Hinamori-san. You are in for a surprise," Nagihiko commented and nodded slowly. Before a movement could be made, the door blasted open and the loud bang when the door touched the wall frightened us.

"I thought I heard you guys!" Chirped a young lady with rose-colored hair. It was tied to the side of her small, round head and she had matching rosy eyes. Taking a look at the girl, I already spotted her hyper persona as she struggled to keep still. She had this brilliant smile that radiated the room and, peeking behind myself at the guys, I could see sweat drops forming. I blinked at the mere sight as I was forcibly pulled into the room by the strange girl.

"Welcome, Amu! I'm Ran! I'll be your choreographer," Ran said as her lips curved into a smile.

"U-uh pleasure to meet you," I said as I watched Ran take my hand and shake it uncontrollably. Strangely, Ran reminded me of Yaya… They both shared the same energy and childish face. I sweat dropped at the thought and wouldn't be surprised if they were related.

"Is that Amu-chan?" Called a velvet voice that came from another room. I analyzed my surroundings and saw painted cream walls with a white couch sitting on one side. There were fluffy cushions rowed on the couch, a pretty rug that had the same decorations as the door and a cute, small dining table with seats. I nodded at the sight and approved of the things that were in here. I compared this room to the guys'… I very much preferred this one.

The room had four mystery doors that linked to other rooms. One room had all hearts decorated, the second had clovers, the third door had spades, and lastly, the fourth door had diamonds.

I heard a few soft footsteps closing in on us as I watched each door open except for the heart-covered one.

A lady with ash-blond hair and lime-coloured eyes stepped out of the clover door. She wore this warm smile as she stepped cozily into the room. She wore this light green dress with a white woven apron around her waist. I could see some white powder on the apron and believed she was cooking.

"It's Amu-chan! Welcome to our studio. My name is Su, desu. I am the special chef," Su greeted as she approached and gave me a light hug. "H-Hello," I answered, startled by the friendly greeting and the hug.

"Amu, meet the crew!" Squealed Ran as she started to wave her hands and point at the other mysterious girls.

One was standing on the left hand side of Su. I saw electric blue hair and matching eyes. She wore these cute chocolate shorts and a striped shirt. "I'm Miki. The make- up artist and stylist," she greeted with a nod. "Amu," I coolly replied with the same tone she used.

"It's great to meet you, Amu-chan," said this blond haired girl who was standing beside Miki. I turned her direction and saw her warm smile as she came close to shake my hand. "My name is Dia. I am the composer and song writer." I nodded and returned the handshake.

"Well… this is our crew," Kukai said as he brought the mood up with his soothing voice. "Can we have some cookies?" he directly asked Su. I was confused by the sudden tone changing into that of a spoiled puppy.

"Sure thing! Let Su get them," Su instantly replied as she rushed into the same room she had exited, and came back in ten seconds with a plate of mouthwatering cookies.

"Score!" Kukai cheered as he grabbed a handful and downed them within seconds. I peered into the room that Su had entered and saw a shimmery, clean kitchen. It was huge. It was probably the same size as a restaurant's kitchen.

"Oh, right! Tour time!" Screamed an excited Ran as she grabbed hold of my arm and led me to her heart coloured room. I entered inside and was amazed at the size. The room was completely different than the other. There were polished wooden floorboards and a massive mirror on one side of the room. The window showed the city of Tokyo and a reflection of the lights radiated the room.

"This is where all our rehearsals are!" Ran commented. I nodded at the sight. She turned in another direction and led me out of the room and into another one which belonged to Dia.

The room had the same layout as Ran's. I saw a black piano sitting on one side with a few music sheets around. There were microphones, sound equipment, headphones, a computer, chairs, and a desk.

"This is Dia's room. This is where all the magic happens. Dia produces the music and she writes the lyrics out. You will be coming here for vocal practice," Ran informed as I once again nodded. She led me out of the room and I saw a glimpse of the guys sitting on the couch looking utterly bored. I laughed quietly at the sight as Ran led me to another room.

"This room belongs to Miki!" Ran said. There was a big mirror drilled onto the wall and make-up neatly organized inside a jewelry box. There were neatly hanged clothes on the rack and I could smell the scent of rose perfume. Before we could depart and continue on the tour, Miki's voice rang in my ears.

"Amu, stay a bit. I want to put make-up on you and style you up," Miki said. Her alluring blue eyes hinting for me stay a bit longer. I couldn't refuse, considering these guys would be here for me when I debut.

"S-sure," I answered as Miki walked forward into her room and told me to sit down on the wooden stool. I did as I was told and awkwardly sat down. I played with my fingers and wrestled with my thumbs.

"Don't worry, I don't bite," Miki teased as she grabbed the brush from the table and started to softly brush my pink locks.

I let out a strangle laugh as I continued to nervously play with my thumbs.

"You have pretty hair," Miki complimented. I looked up and saw a soft expression on her face. "Th-thanks," I replied as I looked up and saw the reflection of myself in the mirror.

"Where's Amu?" Ikuto asked as he watched Kukai continue to eat the mountain of cookies that Su had freshly gotten out of the oven. Kairi rolled his shoulders in response, too indulged in the novel in hand he was reading. It had something to do with samurai sword fighting.

"Why do you ask, Ikuto?" Nagihiko elbowed Ikuto in the side with a cheeky grin.

"Don't worry, then," Ikuto replied back with his usual monotonous voice that sounded as though he didn't care. In truth, he did. He wondered where Amu went when Ran showed her the rooms. The last he saw Amu was in Miki's room. But he didn't bother to check, considering there were only four rooms that she could have been in. It couldn't be in this one, 'cause all the guys were nested on the couch and were watching the latest soccer game. Su was baking another batch of cookies; Ran disappeared somewhere, but loud music was heard from the other side of the room; and Dia had disappeared into her music room. It was silent apart from the roaring crowd on the TV and the faint music from Ran's room and rustling in the kitchen.

Suddenly, Miki's door swung open, revealing Miki with a proud smile.

I shyly look at myself in the mirror and stare in awe at what Miki had done. She had curled my pink hair with pretty curls that flowed down my back. She had taken half my hair and braided to the other side of my head and created a rose looking bun. She had dusted and blended a light pink and gold onto my eye lids, drew a faint cat eye line, brushed mascara onto my eye lashes, and blended white creamy eye shadow onto the corners of my eyes to make my eyes appear brighter and bigger. There was a thin layer of a Lolita-pink lipstick with a tint of strawberry lip gloss coating my lips.

I took deep breaths as I continued to stare at myself in the mirror. It was shocking to believe this was me. What was most shocking was that Miki had persuaded me to wear this daring and charming dress with flashy high heels.

Before I could make a run for it and quickly get changed, Miki had opened the door and shuffled me over to the doorway.

"What do you think, guys?" Miki asked, causing Ikuto, Nagihiko, Kukai and Kairi to look up. They all drew their focus away from what they were doing and set their eyes on me. Eight pairs of eyes glistened at the sight of my appearance as the stared from top to bottom. I was feeling really, really nervous and could hear the pounding of my heart against my rib cage.

I was wearing a shoulder-exposing, bubblegum pink dress that flowed down to my knees with lace trimmings around the edges making it look girly. I wore these open-toed heels that had ribbon straps that wrapped around my legs in a criss-cross pattern which had that ballerina and feminine touch to it.

"Woah…" Kukai gasped at the sight as I nervously look down but then back up.

"Amu-chan, you look good," complimented Nagihiko as I whispered a thank you.

"Very appealing," commented Kairi. This was the first time I heard him say anything to me. Once again, a shy 'thank you' was said.

I glanced at Ikuto and saw his piercing blue eyes glued to mine. He wore that same look but I could see the glimpse of shock in his features. He didn't say anything, but continued to stare at me. I felt uncomfortable and wanted to crawl under a blanket and cry from embarrassment.

The outfit was very cute. But it wasn't me. I did enjoy the look of cute frilly outfits, but I preferred basic black jeans and a nice top.

Before I could utter a word to escape from these girly clothes, the main door opened and in came Mitsuki and Aoran.

"Brilliant timing! Amu is all dressed, so let's head off!" said Mitsuki as she grabbed hold of my hand.

"Timing? Time for what?" I asked as she pulled me out and made me walk in these damn heels.

"For your photo shoot, of course," she replied as I sharply turned around to see Ikuto and the rest of the guys heave a sigh and trail along.

"Photo shoot?" I exclaimed.

"Yup," Mitsuki said as she made a popping sound on the 'p'. "That was the reason why you came here today," she added.

"Oh.. WAIT, WHAT?"

Mitsuki giggled at my reaction as she continued to lead me somewhere I had no clue about. Thankfully, there were no stairs.

"Do not worry. The photo shoot won't take long; it's just a few shots of you and the group," Aoran added as he walked beside me. I meekly nodded, not at all prepared for this.

"Why else would Miki pretty you up for no reason?" Mitsuki asked. I rolled my shoulders and bluntly thought 'Miki has her days when she wants to show her work of art?'

We arrived in front of a mysterious door that was locked. Mitsuki scanned her ID card onto this monitor and the door automatically opened. We entered inside and saw a white drape of fabric covering the wall and cameras flooding the whole room. There were people all rushing around, preparing for the photo shoot.

"Are we ready?" Aoran asked the crew as they all briskly got their hands onto the cameras.

"Ready!" They all shouted.

Mitsuki shuffled all of us into the center of the room and instructed us to have smiling faces and a relaxed posture. Nothing too harsh or unnatural looking. We must be glamorous and fabulous for the public.

As all the cameras went off, all I could remember was the sound of the flash and the bright lighting blinding my eyes.

Sadly, I knew there were more to come in the future…

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**Author's Note: Phew I manged to get this story updated! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and special thanks to my beta-reader and readers who reviewed my last chapter. Very appreciated :) Please leave a kind review and til next time, see ya ! **


	7. Her Enemy

**One Step with Music to Life**

**Step 7: Her Enemy**

"Amu-chan, don't move!" Instructed Miki as she lightly powdered my nose, making me twitch at the touch.

I sighed but followed her order. I remained still like a sculpture and observed the hectic studio as Miki and the other frantic make-up artists flew around the room, brushing make-up onto the other rookies' faces.

Want to know what's going on?

- 1 Week Ago –

"_Ehhh!" I gasped at the words that flowed out of Mitsuki's mouth, making my heart pound and the weights on my shoulders lift._

"_I'm telling you, everyone loves you!" Mitsuki cheerfully said as she patted me on the back. I stayed still as I gobbled up this moment and could feel happiness eat me up._

"_Well done Amu-chan!" Ran smiled and ran up to me, giving me a big bear hug._

_Weeks had passed after Easter had announced XFigure's new female member. The company had let out posters fling around the streets of Tokyo and aired advertisements on TV and radio stations. It was crazy! To think Easter would go all out for a puny person like me._

_So now, the members of XFigure, Mitsuki, Aoran and the crew, were all seated inside the studio while enjoying Su's tasty apple pie._

_I was really worried about what the media thought. It was eating me up this whole week. I kept wondering and wondering what people thought about me. And how questionable it was for a newbie like me to have joined XFigure. XFigure itself was a rookie band, but they had released an album and debuted 6 months ago. And don't get me wrong, the members are indeed handsome. Each person all has different characteristics. Fan girls are their main crowd because of the guys' charming auras that shoot the targets for girls. And now some pink fluff had stumbled along and ruined the magnificent image._

"_This is great, Hinamori!" Kukai said as I felt him slap my back. That got me out of my thoughts._

"_Woo!" I nervously said, fisting my arms up in a victorious motion. Kukai followed along as we both stared each other and broke into laughter._

"_That's enough, guys. I have another important announcement to make. In one week, Easter is preparing a party for all rookie bands that have been selected for this year's entertainment award. And lucky for you, you're all attending," Aoran informed as Nagihiko groaned, followed by Kukai's dreadful moan._

"_This will be a great way for you to meet your rivals," Aoran finished off with a grin and this caught my attention._

_Rivals?_

"Done!" smiled Miki as she wiped invisible sweat off her forehead. So there I was, sitting on the same chair that was offered the other day as Miki had done my make-up and hair. I was getting ready for the major party but I didn't understand why we all had to look that good.

"The media will be trailing along and hunting for stories," Miki suddenly said. It was as though she could read my mind and directly answered my question.

"That means cameras?" I asked nervously, remembering the time when I was taken to the photo shoot and was kept inside the plain room for hours with cameras blinding my eyes.

"Yes, cameras," Miki said as she packed away her make-up tools. I pouted at the thought but hastily got up from my seat.

"Off you go. Just have fun," Miki said again before moving over to the next person who was waiting impatiently.

"I'll try," I mumbled, slouching my eyebrows in boredom. It wasn't an appealing sight, but my face spoke my thoughts.

Heaving a heavy sigh, I exited the room and began to walk outside the building.

"Where the hell do I go?" I asked as I wandered around Easter's building and realized I was lost.

'Oh no.,' I thought worriedly until I heard a familiar voice ring in my ears.

"Found her!" Shouted Kukai as I spun around and saw his usual dashing figure.

"'Sup, Hinamori? We thought we lost you the-" he stopped as he stared at my appearances. "WOW," he gasped with his mouth wide open as my face turned bright red.

Suddenly, trailing behind Kukai, I noticed Ikuto with an annoyed face.

"… Stop running off like that," Ikuto scolded with an irritated expression. His face began to smooth as he noticed my attire.

I was wearing a hand-made, deep violet dress that was perfectly made for my figure as it emphasized my curves, making my waist appear smaller. Purple tulle frills touched the side of my chest and was wrapped onto my left shoulder and down my back. The dress met my lower thighs, where it thickened with tulle underneath, creating fullness to the dress and making my legs appear longer. I had my pink locks of hair pinned into a bun and I wore a gold chain wrapped with black leather headband. The final touch were these black heels which had a black rose decorating the top of the heel.

I was met with silence as I watched the two men stare.

"H-Hinamori, you look good," Kukai complimented as I blushed two shades of pink. "Thanks," I replied quickly as my eyes stumbled to the floor, embarrassed. I then turned to Ikuto and saw that usual poker face. I pursed my lips together.

"Anyways, the party is upstairs!" Kukai suddenly said as he grabbed hold of me.

"Let's show everyone our new member." Kukai smiled as I smiled along.

"Yeah," I said as I followed along.

As we waited at the elevator that would take us up, the door began to open and Kukai walked in. I was suddenly grabbed by the arm and was pulled away from the door and before I could make another movement, the elevator door suddenly closed and I saw Kukai's disappearing figure, looking confused.

Ding!

I turned around to find the culprit who pulled me away, and had forgotten that Ikuto was beside me. What was surprising was that his hand was the one that had stopped me.

I blinked in surprise and stared at Ikuto. His mysterious cobalt eyes were hidden because of his bangs. Silence consumed the space between us as we ignored our surroundings and listened to each other breathing and the sound of my heart thumping.

"Ikuto?" I asked. The sound of my voice triggered him to suddenly pull his hold away. This made my excitement drop.

Suddenly, Ikuto began to walk forward, which made me feel uncomfortable with the lack of space between us. I took a step back whereas he took another step forward. I took another step back but was suddenly met with the wall. Even though I couldn't see Ikuto's eyes, I saw that usual smirk of his appear. He came close and placed one hand beside my face so it touched the wall, caging me. His other hand slid around my waist and I flinched at the sudden touch.

"W-what are you doing?" I stuttered.

Suddenly, his face gotten even closer than before and I could hear this breath against my ear. He whispered, "You look beautiful tonight."

My eyes widened at the compliment and could hear fireworks going off in my head and my heart thumping against my rib cage. Was I dreaming? Did I really hear those words come from Ikuto's mouth?

I did not utter a word until I heard him chuckle. I turned my gaze to him. His amused expression was back in place.

"Were you enchanted by me there, Amu?" He teased, which made me turn bright red. He stepped back and moved his hand away from my waist to press the button of the elevator to open behind my back.

"I sure did get you there," Ikuto teased as I grew more annoyed, wanting to knock that blue head.

"As if!" I huffed and crossed my arms.

"Who would want to get close with you?" I complained again and walked inside the empty elevator room that had opened a few moments ago.

"I think everyone does," Ikuto said as he playfully winked at me.

"Gross," I snorted, looking away and seeing the reflection of myself in the mirror. My face was strawberry pink and I realized I found myself looking different every time I was with Ikuto. I realized that Ikuto was sneaking through my cool and spicy look and was turning me into a blushing fool!

Growing irritated, "Arg! Ikuto you idiot!" I yelled and smacked his shoulder for no apparent reason. He gave me a confused look but still held that smirk of amusement.

"You poor girl. Are you going through your period or something?" Ikuto bluntly asked as I grew even more furious because he had guessed right.

"I'll hurt you," I threatened, giving him a glare.

"You already have," he teased.

"Arg! You're impossible!" I screamed, hectically throwing my arms up as I gave up talking to him.

Before I could hear another comment from him, the doors suddenly separated open as I watched the surroundings begin to play like a celebrity on the red carpet. Cameras immediately flashed at the sight of us and I saw a row of people holding cameras and some holding note books and pens. I watched as Ikuto took my hand and began to lead me out of the door.

"Hinamori Amu! Are you willingly to answer some question?"

"How do you feel about getting chosen to be the female singer of the male group?"

"What's your true intention of joining their group?"

"What kind of relationship do you have with the following members of the X Group?"

I was attacked with questions that didn't even make sense in my head since I was too occupied by the camera lights hurting my eyes again.

"Don't worry about them. Just walk ahead," Ikuto whispered as his grip grew tight. I rubbed my lips together but followed Ikuto. His words sounded so comforting that I didn't want to be released from his hold.

We were met with a white door that had golden prints of rose vines decorating the door. I gulped at the invisible rock that was launched in my throat. Ikuto opened the door and I was met with beautiful people, luxurious food sitting in the center of the room, and a massive chocolate fountain. I watched as the people took notice of the massive door opening and the sight of Ikuto and me.

Suddenly, I saw a few heads bobbing closer to our direction and noticed it was Kukai, Kairi and Nagihiko heading towards us.

"About time you arrived," Nagihiko sighed.

"The party has begun," noted Kairi. I looked around the place and noticed the people were either around my age or older and were wearing luxurious clothing, but I couldn't shake off the dirty looks they were sending at me. Was it because of my appearance, or was it just me?

Wait… who were all of these people?

I wet my already dried lips as I took a big step inside and saw lights dancing on the floor.

"Oh my, look what we've got here," I heard a very familiar, piercing voice. I turned around and allowed the intruding gasp to get sucked out of me like a vacuum. I felt my whole body grow numb and the rate of my heart slumping down to zero.

Those ruby red eyes taunted my golden ones. My mind grew blank at the sight of him and knew exactly who this was.

It was none other, but my first lover and enemy.

Hotori Tadase.

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**Authors Note: Special thanks to my beta-reader and my beautiful readers who commented on my last chapter. Very appreciated ! :) Stay tune for the next chapter. Til now, bye bye ! **


	8. Greed

**One Step with Music to Life**

**Chapter 8: Greed**

The mere sight of him made shivers travel through my spine and numbness spread acting as poison to eliminate any movements. My mouth remained empty as I could not find the words to speak.

His flaming eyes bore into mine and I couldn't refuse to look away. It had been four years since I've seen him. After the heart broken mess I was in and the bullying I had to take, my parents packed everything and decided to move. It was hard. Mama was undergoing a lot of stress from work and was pregnant, who is my younger sister Ami. After Ami was given birth, we decided to live in Tokyo and settle. This meant a new school, new home and new people.

Days, months and years past…My heart and mind slowly began to block the awful memories. It was like a scar that will take years to heal but seconds to open. Memories flashed and I trembled as I allowed them to take over my mind.

My legs… They're growing numb…

Before my legs gave up, my arm was grabbed to hold me from falling. I look up and comfort sea eyes tries to hold me together.

"Amu."

His voice, it sounded so nice and sincere that I wanted to lock those memories away.

"Ikuto." I said as my mind began to adjust of the presence. I needed to get my act together. I shouldn't be the scaredy cat because I had gotten dumped by this cheating and absurd man. It's time for Amu to lead.

Closing my eyes and taking even breaths. My mind went clear and instantly, my eyes were opened and in power of what action I plan to make.

"Tadase. Nice to meet you too." I said, my voice sounding normal. Tadase grin vanished at the new sight of me and his lips pursed together in a straight line.

"It's been awhile. How have you been?" he asked, detecting my low voice as he put up that sweet prince voice. It was the exact tone of voice used when he had cruelly hurt me.

"Good. What brings you here?" I asked getting straight to the point. I look around and see Kukai's confused expression as he didn't get what was happening. However, Ikuto, Nagihiko and Kairi seemed to have a clear idea of what I was feeling. And they seemed aware of my relationship between with Tadase.

Tadase grin returned and his facial expression showed some impression that he was the lead of the party. "You're not the only one who's debuting. I too have made a band and signed the contract." Tadase replied.

"Contract?" I asked as I thought of the same one I had to sign.

"Exactly. You see, the people around us are those who have trained for years for that contract." He continued to explain.

I spin around and observed the people in the room and was met with cold eyes piercing through mine. Were we attracting a lot of attention?

Ikuto continued to hold my arm and it felt comforting. I didn't want him to let go because it made me feel safe and alert.

Suddenly, Tadase stepped close as I moved back. He leaned over to the side of my cheek and his lips were against the shell of my ear.

"They all hate you."

That poison and venomous voice of his reminded me of a character of a snake. Someone who tricks slithers for attention and poisons. His words didn't reach me but I knew he was right. I wasn't an idiot. Those glares been thrown at me was probably because of the sight of me and suddenly joining Ikuto's band. It was the band that everyone dreamt of joining.

"I don't get it. Why would someone like you with no talent join such a spectacular band?" Tadase continued to taunt as my lips pursed together to form a straight line.

"Don't you dare say that. Hinamori is our team mate. Don't under estimate her." Kukai's voice intruded into our conversation as I turned around to see a harden expression. Even though Kukai held confusion in whom Tadase was, he was still sensible enough to help. I sent him a thankful look and a small smile.

Tadase blinked but then chuckled at Kukai's words. "It's all about money. Not talent. Money." Tadase stated, his eyes growing dark. I bit the bottom of my lips to prevent from yelling.

"Tadase greed has taken an effect of you." I said without realizing of what I said. He scoffed at my words, "The same goes for you too Amu-chan." He narrowed his eyes as his voice grew squeaky when he added 'chan' into my name.

His trying to get to you.

"I'm surprised that you were given the contract so suddenly. Easter must have really wanted you."

Again...With the contract…

What was his main point of this conversation?

I wasn't sure what kind of face I was making, but Tadase noticed and saw the confusion within me.

"You don't know about it? Weren't you told to read things before signing?"

I bit my lips together and held this uncomfortable look. His words kept going back to the contract. What was so special about it?

"The contract is entertainment for the Easter Organization." Ikuto's voice suddenly came in as it answered my question.

"What?" I asked, uncertain of what he was saying.

"The contract." He continued. "You've read it. Winners will win 500,000 dollars if they succeed first place." Ikuto explained. He suddenly released his hold onto my arm but stayed beside me.

"… I know about the money… But what first place?" I whispered to him too not get too much attention from Tadase. Tadase eyes held amusement as he watched as I struggle to understand of what was happening.

"Page 53. _The awarding amount of money is given to the winning band that succeeds to get first place in all music charts in Japan_."

My breathing stopped and my eyes wide. I wanted to scream loudly in confusion to what Ikuto had just said. 'F-F-First place!? That's impossible!' I screamed in my head.

'Is that even possible? Wait… now it makes sense…. It was strange how they said that they will decrease the pay check if the contract is not met with the expectation. Does this mean that if I don't succeed in getting first place I will lose the money? Can a contract like that even exist!? AND WHY THE HELL DID I NOT READ THIS PART!

**-Flash back- **

_But then I came across an interesting topic. I repeatedly read,__'After the 6 month contract, Hinamori Amu will be given 500,000 dollars as the final pay. However, if she does not meet every demand being printed on this contract, her pay check will decrease every 50,000 dollars.'_

_Oh my goodness! That's half of a million dollars! That would pay all my college fees and possibly buy me a car after I graduated. 'Oh my god, this is awesome!' I squealed inside my head. But six months… wasn't that a bit too short? And why were they so strict about the demands?_

_I then continued to read as mama continued to create small talk with them, and discovered Mitsuki and Aoran were previous models. My head instantly shot up as I mentally patted my back for guessing correctly. I forgot what I had read as I invited myself into their conversation._

'Nooo! Why did I get distracted and forget to read that darn page.' I complained in my head and gritted my teeth in annoyance.

"Got it now Amu-chan?" Tadase voice sang in my ears as I glared at him for sounding to friendly with me.

"That's Hinamori to you." I spat at him. His grin did not disappear and I noted it was even worse than Ikuto's stupid smirk.

My attention then wondered to the light music and noises in the background. I had forgotten that I was attending a party. After realizing what Tadase had just said, I allowed my curiosity target the cat. These people…. They must have signed the contract too. That means they're fighting for first place. They're aiming for the money.

"_This will be a great way for you to meet your rivals."_

Aoran's words now made sense. I understood what he meant and what purpose this party was. It was to get to know who was fighting for the money and will greed win over them.

Who would have thought money could have such influence?

"Isn't your silent game playing too long?" Tadase teased and I narrowed my eyes at him.

I rolled my eyes and gritted my teeth. I couldn't stand the ugly aurora he was giving.

"Give up Amu-chan. Victory belongs to me. You can watch and cry when I go up and receive the winning money." Tadase said with a smug look. I threw a glare at him and couldn't stand his arrogances. I stomped my heels onto the ground as burning flames appeared in my eyes.

I coolly pointed my index finger at him and my eyes flashing low as I sent him the look that meant determination.

"I will win."

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**Authors Note: Eeeek! This is gonna be interesting... I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you for the reviews! Your support and words of encouragement is what gets me write more. So thank you & til now good bye! **


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